Singapore man charged over death threats against French footballer Neal Maupay of Brighton & Hove Albion
- Derek Ng De Ren is accused of sending Maupay four threatening messages via Instagram last year
- These included threats to attack and kill the footballer’s family after he injured a goalkeeper who plays for Arsenal, a court heard on Monday
A 19-year-old Singaporean man has been charged over alleged online death threats against French footballer Neal Maupay, who plays in England with Brighton & Hove Albion.
On July 1, the accused allegedly sent another message, saying “You think by reporting my account you're safe? I will kill you and your family.”
The messages were sent after Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno was injured by Maupay after a tackle during a Premier League match last June. Maupay apologised for his part in the incident.
The Premier League said in August that it had traced the messages to Singapore and had reported them to local police.
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Football clubs in England over the weekend boycotted social media over allegations that companies are unwilling to address online abuse of players. The boycott is set to last until Monday evening.
Brighton said companies “must do more” to stop online abuse, including by supporting law enforcement.
